MANILA, Philippines — The Australian government, through the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), has provided P42.7 million to fund school meals for children affected by the Marawi siege.

The funding will be able to feed about 50,000 students in Marawi City for six months, the Australian Embassy said Friday. This program would contribute to peace and stability in the area and would allow students to finish the academic school year.

“Education plays an important role in community-building. We’re pleased these emergency school meals will support students’ education and development,” Australian Ambassador Amanda Gorely said in a statement,

The Australian envoy stressed that Australia is committed to providing humanitarian assistance to the Philippines when necessary.

“Through our partnership with the Department of Education and Task Force Bangon Marawi, we are supporting people affected by the Marawi crisis," Gorely said.

Aside from the school meals, Australia will also provide food assistance for 23,000 households and 8,100 laborers and farmers in the war-torn capital of Lanao del Sur.

In July 2017, Australia donated rice which fed more than 57,000 students in Lanao del Norte and Lanao del Sur. They also provided P19 million to the WFP for food distribution in the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao.

Stephen Gluning, WFP representative and country director, said that Australia's emergency school meals program would enable students to continue their studies while being nourished.

“We are grateful for our strategic partnership with the Australian Government which allowed us to immediately respond to the Marawi crisis through rice that was prepositioned at the onset of the emergency," Gluning said.

Australia was among the first countries that provided assistance to the Philippines when ISIS-inspired local terrorists took over Marawi City in May 2017.

The Australian government sent two surveillance aircraft to assist Filipino troops in their fight against terrorists in Marawi.

Australia also provided $20 million worth of assistance over four years to civilians affected by the conflict in Marawi City and nearby areas. The support would fund small-scale infrastructure projects in the area such as the provision of clean drinking water and the repair of local roads. — Patricia Lourdes Viray

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